looking to get lens

i have a Nikon d40 and i have a nikkor 18-55mm lens. i want to get another lens that can zoom in very close. i dont want it to always have to be attached to a tripod.(im thinking something around 300mm or some telephotic lens) any suggestions are welcomed especially by photogrophy guru's.

If you're looking at nikon brand, you've got a couple of options. The 55-200 is very small, very light, and decent quality. It's got VR and size-wise is a very good match for that body. It would give you 300mm equiv (in 35mm/FX terms).

If you're want a little more reach, a step up in quality, and a little faster focusing, look into the 70-300. It's got VR also (and you can also manually override the autofocusing any time, something you can't do with the 55-200). The downside of course is that it's a bigger, heavier, and costlier than the 55-200. There's no free lunch. ;-) On a DX body it's would give you a 450mm equivalent.